EASY STEPS TO BECOME AN EXCELLENT HOUSEPLANT KEEPER

As you might know, there are too many benefits that plants can provide to your interiors. It’s not only about purifying the indoor air quality, but also about brightening up and adding some live to it. It doesn’t matter what kind of plant are you planning to grow, palms, ferns, violets, roses, cactus or maybe low-maintenance succulents, here will lead you through the basic houseplants care so you can be the proud owner of beautiful and healthy greens at home all year-round.

– Allow you indoors to mix with your outdoors

The first thing you need to keep your houseplants as healthy as possible is knowing about where they come from, like their native environment for instance. By learning this kind of things you’ll be able to use the right combination of lights, the most according soil and moisture, so you can simulate their outdoor conditions in order to help them alive. As an example, a cactus needs the type of soil that drains fluids quickly, or like the African violets whom enjoy a soil that’s a bit acid. Since indoor conditions tend to be dry, it’s crucial for you to learn some hints that will allow you to maintain your plants moisturized.

– Water needs do vary

Usually indoor tends to be a relatively stable environment for houseplants, but with the season’s changing your plants will ask for different watering needs, maybe not all of them, but others sure will. Is important to know that plants tend to grow faster in spring and summer, while they slow down their growth in the colder seasons, fall and winter. So, research well about you plant’s growing periods and remember to water a bit less during their dormant periods.

– Is it time to water?

Another important step is to know when is the right time to water your houseplants. So, there are some previous checks you can employ before watering, for instance try dipping one finger into the soil for at least one inch, and so, if you feel it dryer than what it should, it’s time to water. There’s also another effective trick, where you position a small wood stick or perhaps a chopstick, for about one or two inches into the soil; by leaving the stick buried for 10 minutes or so, you’ll need to pull it off to examine changes of color or watermarks and if the stick hasn’t change, it’s watering time.

– Watering hints

As we’ve been saying, to know when to water is important for your plants, as it is learning the right way to do it. To start, is recommendable to use a long neck watering can that helps you reach every part of the container. Don’t forget to check the water to assure is room temperature. You’ll know when the water quantity is enough, because it will start leaking through the pot’s drainage holes into the plate underneath. After an hour, dish the water left on the plate so your plant won’t become over saturated. Watering your houseplants in the morning will definitely give you better results, since moistened foliage has a shot of drying out along the day. Sometimes the potting soil can get too dry, because it tears apart from the sides of the container leading the water to drip directly out of the container. If that’s your case, try to re-water the soil and pour three to four drops of a mild dish soap on it. This is going to help the water drench in, in order to make the root ball extend until it fills the pot again.

– Help your plants stay moisturized

It might be hard for some people to water their houseplants frequently, that’s why adding some moss, mulch or even a few pebbles around the base of your houseplants will help them preserve the potting soil well moisturized. There are also other viable strategies, such as buying a moisture-retention potting mix.

– Be careful and don’t drown your plants

Although we’ve been talking about houseplantwatering along this article, we can’t forget about another important piece in this entire process. Plant’s roots also need air, that’s why you need to be cautious of not over watering them, since this will stop airflow causing the root to rot and the results will end up in failure. Over-watering is the number one cause of houseplants death, so keep an eye on falling or yellowed leaves and wilting or drooping, these are clear signs of stress caused by this mistake. In case this happens to you, don’t hesitate on drying out your plant or even better, re-pot them in fresh soil.